Introduction to
Grammar, continued…
Adjectives
• Adjectives describe or modify nouns or
pronouns.
• They tell what the things named by nouns
and pronouns are like.
• Adjectives can show which or what kind of
thing you are talking about.
• For examples: the tiny
one, the awesome one,
that one, no one.
Descriptive Adjectives
Examples
• Remember: descriptive adjectives add details.
They answer these questions:
– What kind?
– What is it like?
• Examples:
Long
Squishy
Hilarious
Round
Faithful
Red
Strong
Rainy
Box-shaped
Canadian
Limiting Adjectives
Examples
• Remember: limiting adjectives make nouns and pronouns
more specific. They answer these questions:
– Which one?
– How many?
– How much?
• Examples:
This
That
Those
My
Our
Your
His
Its
Their
First
Right
Left
One
Ninety-six
Many
Few
Both
No
More
Less
Which
What
Features of Adjectives
1. Placement
•
•
•
Generally, adjectives go before the nouns they
describe.
You can also put them after a noun and after a
linking verb.
Before a noun
•
•
After a noun
•
•
My orange kite flies wonderfully.
My kite, orange as a pumpkin, flies wonderfully.
After a linking verb
•
My kite is orange and flies wonderfully.
Features of Adjectives,
continued…
2. Endings
•
Have you noticed words with these endings
(suffixes)?
– -able, -ful, -ic, -is, -less, -like, -ons
•
Add an ending like this to a word root, and what
do you get?
Base word
move
Ending
(suffix)
+
able
Adjective
=
movable
Using Adjectives
1. Know how to use “less” and “least.”
• Sometimes a comparison has to do with less of something –
not more. Then, instead of more or most, you use less or
least.
2. Know the difference between “fewer” and
“less.”
• The adjectives fewer and less mean just about the same thing.
• However, fewer counts separate items, and less measures the
amount of substance.
• Use fewer with plural nouns.
• Use less with singular nouns
• Examples:
– Plural: Which class has fewer students?
– Singular: Which bread has less sugar?
Practice using adjectives
• Handout:
Adjectives
• Refer to the
Handout: SAMPLE
List of Adjectives